OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Mike Macdonald didn't answer the repeated calls from an unknown number because he thought it was a recruit, and he believed his football coaching career was over.
Macdonald's time as a graduate assistant at the University of Georgia had ended in 2014 after he received his master's degree in sports management with a 4.0 grade-point average. With no offers to continue coaching, he reluctantly decided to shift to finance and signed a contract with KPMG, a global accounting firm.
Then Macdonald noticed a voicemail from that persistent yet unfamiliar number. It was from the Baltimore Ravens, who were offering a one-year coaching internship.